Common Sense Media Review
By Regan McMahon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Magical day trip has moment of grief in sweet grandma tale.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
While riding in the back seat during a family day trip, a grandma shows her granddaughter, the unnamed narrator, there's a lot to discover in AMA'S PURSE. "Out comes a wallet, soft and supple. Out comes her pouch, silky smooth. Then she pours a pool of tarnished coins into her crinkled hand, and fragrant blooms begin to sprout from an island far away." When the girl gets carsick, Ama pulls out a bracelet of "Buddha beads" for the girl to count, and they "chant to the rhythm of bells and drums." After a picnic of tasty fruit and seaweed strips from inside the purse, the family stops for gas and Ama stumbles, spilling its contents. "Out comes the compact, the coins, the beads. Out comes the fruit, the picnic, the snacks." The girl gathers them up, and then Ama pulls out of her purse a cherished small photo album with happy pictures of her husband, including one in which he's holding up the little girl. "Then we enjoy a final twirl with a loved one lost in time," and the girl visualizes a happy memory of being with both grandparents. After that quiet moment overlooking the sea, the family goes go down to the beach. As for Ama? "She carries her purse, full of fondness and fortunes. Then we make a brand new memory in sparkling splashes."
Is It Any Good?
This joyful celebration of grandparent-grandchild love shows a kid's-eye view of the seemingly magical contents of a seemingly bottomless handbag. Ama's Purse is an upbeat story, even though there's a moment when the girl gets carsick and one where she thinks fondly of a time when her grandfather was still among them. Everything is handled with a light touch. And illustrator Xindi Yan's soft pastel digital art includes sparkling swooshes that add a fantasy element to the girl's impressions of Ama's "treasured items."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the special relationship between Ama and her grandchild in Ama's Purse. Do you have a grandparent you're close with? What kinds of things do you do together? What's it like to communicate with older folks? Do you find it easy or hard?
What do you think of the magical elements in the story? Can you imagine someone's purse having such interesting stuff in it that it seems like magic? What's in the purse of your grandmother, mother, or caregiver?
Can you remember a fun outing with your family? Where did you go? What did you do?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Xindi Yan
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Family Stories ( Grandparents )
- Character Strengths : Communication , Curiosity , Gratitude
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Rocky Pond Books
- Publication date : August 4, 2026
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 7
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Hardback, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : August 13, 2026
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